


To The Stars and Back

by dalheam



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Misunderstandings, Possessive Derek, except like not anymore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-07-10 08:10:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6974947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dalheam/pseuds/dalheam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After summer break, Stiles Stilinski comes back to Beacon Hills High looking more mature than previous years. He doesn't really get why he's getting so much attention now that he's a junior, all he knows is that nothings changed, even his utter loathing towards Beacon Hills' star basketball player Derek-friggin'-look-at-my-huge-biceps-Hale.</p><p>Derek doesn't get why Stiles hates him. Christ, they used to be inseparable ever since they were toddlers and it still beats him up to this day that he lost one the most important people in his life, heck, he could be the most important person in his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahahaha, I don't know, I'm terribly new to all this fanfiction stuff, I've never really published work, like, ever. This was just an idea that I had and to be honest I don't even know how this story'll end up in, haha, let's all just pray for the best and not kill the stupid writer that wrote this stupid story. Again, I'm totally new and I don't know how things really work so if you have tips or advice, please feel free to comment down below (if that's what people say, I don't even know). Anyways, I really hope you enjoy this first chapter and if you don't, well, there's plenty of fanfics out there more worthy of your time, haha.

Stiles couldn't help but notice the subtle whispers coming from all around him as he walked through the all-too-familiar halls of Beacon Hills High. He couldn't help but feel slight panic rising in his chest as he glanced around hushed voices and wary eyes aimed straight at him from time to time. Did he have something in his face? Did he forget to check his teeth? It had only been roughly 30 seconds into his junior year, he couldn't have embarrassed himself yet. He started feeling perturbed, hoping to catch on of his friends to save his ass from the strange glances most of his schoolmates gave him.

He turned the corner of the hallway keeping careful to not smash into the lockers to avoid more unnerving unwanted attention. He sighed in thankfulness seeing his best friend, Scott, standing there with a strange smirk on his, usually innocent, smug face. Stiles quickly pat his friend’s shoulder, glancing behind his shoulders before looking back at his friends awfully pleased expression. 

“Hey bud, is there something on my face? I swear these people are looking at me like I grew an extra head, which don't get me wrong, would be cool like American Horror Story: Freak Show cool, but I’m not really into the whole crazy idea of having a conjoined replica of me and-“ He narrowed his eyes at the grinning cheshire cat standing in front of him. “Wait. What-What is this? What is this look you're giving me? I don’t-“

Scott cut him off with a chuckle at the obliviousness of his companion. “Dude lighten up, people are just admiring the new view.” He said with a grin on his face. Stiles looked at him like he was crazy. View? What view? Wait. Did he mean him? Like Stiles view? No. He glanced at the door beside him, looking at the window glancing at his faded reflection. Like sure, he did decide to finally change his appearance, growing his hair out during the summer, ridding himself of his dull buzzcut, as well as throwing out all his beloved faded and maybe slightly disfigured Doctor Who shirts and his disgustingly ragged old white converse shoes that he wore every single day ever since the beginning of freshman year, but he still believed that he looked like the same old goofy deer Lydia always called him.

“Hey, you should be glad, I see Tracy finally taking notice of you, didn’t you like her at one point?” Scott continued looking over Stiles’ shoulder. He glanced back seeing the brunette he knew as Tracy waving over at him with a shy smile.

“Yeah, during damn 6th grade before I started playing ball for the other team. Make it stop. Please, Scottie make it stop.” He told Scott with pleading eyes. It’s true, he did have a crush Tracy. On a girl and a few others too, but that was before he decided that boys were more his thing after a long life changing conversation with a certain 5’3” strawberry blonde teen he now called his ‘Best Friend #2: Scary Horrifying I-will-eviscerate-you Version’. Scott barked out a laugh before pulling his friend with him, striding down the hall to their first class of their sophomore year. Stiles started to think about what Scott had told him all of a sudden. It was true that people were looking at him more feral like a prey amongst predators but it seemed unbelievable to think that they wanted him of all people. The spastic skinny teen with a mouth louder than an entire samba band. It was gonna be a long junior year, it was. 

***

“You’d think a guy’d grow on you after two whole years.” Stiles moaned sitting down on their designated lunch table. He patted Scott’s shoulder as he slid down beside him, lunch tray in one hand and snatching on of Scott’s fries with the other, biology textbook almost slipping from it’s place under his armpit.

“Hey at least Harris didn't throw a pen at you today, I mean, I’d say he was into you too” Scott said with that monstrous smirk he’d been constantly giving him since their little confrontation around the halls. Stiles held his stomach and faked a barf, putting his book on the table, only to be rewarded by another patronizing chuckle from Scott.

Stiles felt smitten. He wasn’t really used to all the attention, well, he was used to attention but with more impolite remarks regarding his spastic self, not comments on how much he apparently got hotter during the summer break. He’d gotten into trouble during AP English first period for groaning too loud after hearing a couple of girls whispering about him behind his back about his hair, or was it his shirt? No it was his shoes. Yeah, it was his shoes. Wait was it his neck? Regardless, this was a whole new chapter in his life. He was gonna call it, ‘A Whole New Stiles’.

“‘A Whole New Stiles’? Really?” He heard Lydia scoff from across the table looking at him snickering as she sat down between her brunette life-companion, Allison and the groups not-so-stereotypical asian friend, Kira.

“Wait did I say that last part? Nevermind, I totally did” Stiles sighed mentally scolding himself.

“I think it’s great that Stiles has this newfound confidence in himself. it’s healthy. Honestly though, you do look more appealing now than you were last year. You looked like a lost kid flouncing around the place, not that you aren’t now, it’s just that you’ve gotten taller, leaner handsomer…” Kira rambled on before returning her attention to her half-eaten sandwich.

“Okay that’s enough babe, if you keep encouraging him I met get a little jealous” Scott said winking at his girlfriend making the other three roll their eyes making barf noises. It was disgustingly adorable, their little couple-y interactions. They’ve only started dating during the summer after the entirety of sophomore year filled with pining and longing looks behind the other’s backs after the moment Kira was introduced by her own father during their first history class with Mr Yukimura. It had been torturous and down right irritating, but regardless they were still such a cute, but also utterly gross, couple. It made Stiles believe in love listening to Scott ramble on about how perfect Kira was and how right it felt even after he went through the exact same thing with Allison during freshmen year.

“Hey you guys, sorry I’m a little late, I was talking to coach about me joining the lacrosse team this year.” Liam, the youngest of the posse, said raking his hand over his dusty blonde hair as he sat beside Scott finally uniting the group. “As usual, Hale’s captain leaving Jackson irked once more. I mean, I guess he can try next year, apparently Derek’s thinking of transferring next year or something.” 

Stiles cringed internally at the mention of the name. Not Jackson, but Derek. He quickly shrugged it off picking up his sandwich taking a bite out of the corner. He subtly preoccupied himself munching away on his sandwich before noticing a brush of a warm hand on his shoulder making him jump and look over his shoulder.

“Hey Stiles, looking good today.” Commented a blonde boy around his height, a boy he knew as Theo who was slowly walking off smirking at him slyly before embarrassingly slamming into a tall dark figure he so dreaded to discern. 

“Oh s-sorry Ha- uh, Derek.” Theo apologized before running off avoiding confrontation by the brooding frame who was scowling at him like he was about to commit murder right there before chuckling with himself glancing at Stiles for a brief second before being joined by a short blonde, Erica, who strode by him as they neared their own table.

“He is horrifying. He is what drives each and every one of my nightmares every night.” Liam commented looking a little startled by the little incident that didn't even include him. Stiles scoffed at the mere idea of being scared of the oh-so-terrifying Derek Hale. Who did he even think he was? Stiles couldn't grasp how everyone looked at him so high and mighty it irked him to his very bones.

“I know right, lacrosse is actually scaring me a little this year. I mean last year was scary, but Derek seems hellbent on winning all of the tournaments this year before he leaves.” Scott said glancing around his friends.

“I really don’t get how horrifying he apparently is. I find Jabba the Hutt more horrendous.” Stiles deadpanned.

“Well obviously Stiles, weren't you like, soulmates before freshmen year?” Scott laughed. Stiles scoffed once more at the allegation but as much as he wanted to deny it, it was still true. They were inseparable since they were little, surprisingly so, Derek and Stiles, well, until freshmen year. Now they never seemed to notice each other, Derek chose his rising popularity over Stiles himself who felt utterly stupid for thinking Derek wanted to be his friend. Anyways, Stiles never liked talking about it, there wasn't a need to talk about it.

“So? I don't get why people look at him all high and mighty like the quintessential jock meathead he is.”

“Oooh someone’s being a bitter little bitch” Lydia joked earning herself a glare from yours truly.

“I’m not bitter. It’s just stupid.” He said picking at his own fries.

“Really, though, you never told us why you guys broke up” Scott continued to joke shrugging off Stile’s annoyed glare.

“I really just- I don't wanna talk about him. Anyways, did you guys catch the new Flash episode last night? I really hate how they portrayed Dr Zoom, I mean, I’m not that much of a DC kinda guy but in the comics…” He was cut off by another striking scoff from Lydia.

“Really Stilinski? You’re not gonna change the-” Now she was cut off by the loud ringing off a blessed bell. ‘Thank god’ Stiles praised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp, if you're reading this, I'm surprised you haven't killed yourself or worse clicked away from this mess of a fanfic, ahahaha, I'd love for you to leave a comment whether it be how bad I write or how I could have improved because if you haven't noticed, I'm horrible at writing and a grade A idiot at writing plots so yeah, thanks for reading this, I might just post the next chapter next week if y'all really enjoyed this, haha :)
> 
>  
> 
> Also, If you're willing on sharing this piece of fanfiction anywhere online please let me know first because I'm young and new to all this and I get scared and confused too haha.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reeeeaaallllyyyy sorry this was late :( I kept re-reading what I'd written over and over until I just scrapped everything and started over. I'm still really new to writing so please bare with me and yes, this is a really, really, reeeaaally long chapter and I apologize, I'm still figuring out how to segregate my chapters and stuff, so pretty please have some patience with my idiocy and stuff. Anyways, I'm still figuring things out and my notes are vague asf so don't hate me pretty please. Anyways, it's a long one and I really hope that you don't get bored half way through, the first parts a continuation because apparently my brain thought that it was a good idea to not include that part in the first chapter (sorry *sad face*). 
> 
> Anyways, babbling on here, sorry, I babble a lot like I'm surprised people don't tell me to shut up during (one-sided) conversations, haha. Jesus, anyways I hope you still like what I write and if not I'll try out gardening as a hobby instead. Gardening could be fun...

Derek was practically was preening with pride, chuckling to himself after his brief interaction with that kid, uh, what was his name again? Thomas or Tobey or something totally irrelevant like that. That kid who seemed to be fawning over the young lithe teen who was too busy munching on his sandwich (frankly quite obscenely, actually) acting oblivious to the entire incident. He felt pleased with himself for pushing off another one of Stiles’ new hopeless admirers, he just felt the need to sort of, lets say, mark his territory, yeah _his_ territory. He walked off striding towards his own group’s designated lunch table, his blonde companion, Erica pulling him by the arm.

 

Thinking more about it, he frowned to himself, eyebrows furrowed. Why did he have to care so much? It’s not like he had any sort of claim on Stiles whatsoever. He shouldn’t care, he really shouldn’t. But god, he can’t _help_ _it_. He _does_ care. He wants to stop people from looking at Stiles like a piece of dessert left in the open for anyone to ravish like a bitch in heat, to stop everyone from objectifying him down to something so stupidly basic (something Derek himself was used to being degraded as, and from personal experience, he dreaded it), he’s his best friend, well uhm, ex-best friend, but still, He cares for Stiles, possibly more than a friend should. To Derek, he’s _his_.

 

Even if he _isn’t_.

 

“Awww, you’re putting on a frowny face again. I can’t believe you’re sad-sad for scaring Theo off like that.” Erica cooed in her stupid irksome baby voice looking at him with a stupid condescending smirk or her stupid condescending face.

 

Derek growled, glaring at her. “It’s not that, Erica, and please stop it with the baby voice you sound deranged and I’m a little embarrassed to be within the same vicinity as you right now.” He slid down the seats of their table smiling at the large dark-skinned adolescent, Boyd, who was already picking at his fries.

 

“Then what sad-sack? Christ, please don’t tell me you’re sad because of that stupid argument with Kate Ass-gent about you not getting her dinner last night. I really can’t understand why you torture yourself with that bimbo of a chick. I mean, I thought you were only dating her to get at least some recognition off of-”

 

“Stiles.” Derek groaned cutting her off, frowning deeper rubbing his large calloused hands over his face. She was right. He was only burdening himself with his current on-and-off girlfriend who was most probably sleeping with four other guys, but quite frankly, he didn’t really care that much. She was insufferable, always asking for pretty much everything, but she was a good distraction from the rest of his problems, you know, problems like again, being ignored/utterly hated by the one person you truly care about (that’s not family, and that should really be saying something) 

 

“Uhm- Uh, yeah. Him.” Erica said hesitantly. 

 

“It’s just- I just- Nevermind it’s stupid. I’d rather not talk about it.” Derek sighed to himself, “Anyways, where’s Isaac? I didn't see him come in today.”

 

“Sick.” Boyd said. He was never really the one to talk, but surprisingly he had this way of making people understand what he was saying without speaking more than two or three words. His rock-like persona was Derek’s aspiration in life.

 

“Oh please, he always says that. He always does this thing where he misses the first day to make a stupid I’m-a-teen-I-make-mistakes statement.” Erica said rolling her eyes and munching on her own sandwich. 

 

Derek and Boyd just raises their eyebrows giving each other a glance before staring back at Erica

 

“Just you wait, I bet you tomorrow he’ll be ranting about how much shit Scott’s mom gives him for not going to school, he’ll be all, ‘Urgh, I’m just need space, I’m depressed, god!’ And I bet you that’s verbatim” Erica continued in a mock-Isaac sort of voice.

 

“You’re just mad because Isaac didn’t bring you to that hipster concert and brought Allison instead” Derek deadpanned. 

 

Erica flashed him her I-will-maim-your-ass eyes, growling at him before going back to suffocate herself on her sandwich. 

 

They spent the rest of lunch in complete silence before the bell rang to shoo them off to their next classes. Derek stood up glancing over the now-empty table that Stile’s clique occupied merely minutes ago. He saw a bright orange textbook, most probably Harris’ which meant that it could’ve been Stiles’s. He contemplated on letting Stiles face his problems but the moment he saw that stupid blonde, Thor or something (nevermind, not Thor, he’s not letting that kid get analogized as a thunder god) walking over, he made a dash for it grabbing the thick book that was totally Stiles’s judging from how close-to-destroyed it was, walking off giving Theo’s frowny face his signature wolfish grin. 

 

***

 

Stiles slumped into his bed running his hands over his face sighing. What was today? It was hard getting used to all the new attention towards himself, even Derek managed to bat an eye at him.

 

Stiles groaned pushing his face into his pillow. Since when did he care about whenever Derek decided to grace him with his condescending consideration. The guy was still a total ass and so was his ass girlfriend and everyone else in his stupid ‘touch-us-and-we’ll-rip-your-throat-out-with-our-teeth’ ass group. Actually, not them, they still scare the living shit him including Erica, he shuddered at the thought of her pink claw-like nails, he swore they were part of am evil vampire coven, no, werewolf pack sort of thing, totally werewolves. 

 

He rolled himself over and picked up his phone from the top his nightstand, he turned it on and checked his is inbox for new messages and surprisingly, there were none. Usually, he had Scott complaining about his teachers or how much crap the other lacrosse players were giving him, and by lacrosse players he totally meant Jackson because Scott insisted that every lacrosse player bowed down to both the holy and righteous Jackson Low-fat-whole-grain-better-than-you-Whittebread and Derek Lick-my-superb-egotistical-abs-they’re-great Hale. He scrolled down all his archived messages, peaking into his past conversations chuckling at his absurd conversations with his closest friends. 

 

Stiles scrolled down further, smile literally falling off his face once he saw Derek’s old nickname on his phone, ‘ _Der-bear_ ’. He winced at the letters, remembering moments where he’d laugh breathlessly at the name while Derek would simply glare at him, his stupid face flushed red. He remembered the moment he heard Laura, his sister, call him that and he felt like finding out the meaning of life, he sang odes to Laura thanking her for the idea of that glorious nickname, constantly making fun of Derek until he felt that it wasn’t as enjoyable as it used to be. He scrolled through their old conversation with a weird feeling in his stomach, his eyes danced around the screen, he remembered the easy banter between them, the corner of his lips twitching up slightly reading on of Derek’s jokes that consisted of dynastinae and Mr Harris’ butthole. 

 

He couldn't lie. He missed this, the way they just knew each other, the way they just fit like a jigsaw puzzle. He felt saddened reading all of Derek’s messages of comfort whenever Stiles told him that he wasn’t in the mood or his empty threats about killing Jackson whenever Stiles complained about him. He was just so… _There_. But now he wasn’t. He was probably out fucking his girlfriend or another one of those promiscuous sluts from the cheerleading squad. Stiles sighed telling himself that that was in the past, that it was just Derek using him to pass the time. It shouldn’t have surprised him, really, what really caught him off guard was how long Derek took before he realized that Stiles was waste of his precious time. A totally amazing, hot as fuck (due to popular belief, haha screw you Hale) waste of his lacrosse-captain grace. It was just depressing feeling so disgustingly thrown away just like banana skin. 

 

He was scrolling down deeper into his banter/comfort/silent innuendo flooded conversations with ‘Der-Bear’ before he heard his door knock. 

 

“Hey son? Are ya decent? I don’t wanna have to walk in on another one of your self-lovin’ sesssions” His father asked behind the door chuckling. Stiles threw his phone down looked bewildered, feeling his dad’s wicked grin without even having to see it. 

 

“OH GOD DAD, THAT WAS ONE TIME!” He said in a totally manly scream. Totally manly. Stiles was the quintessence of masculinity at that point.

 

“I’m just teasing, Stiles” His father said coming in. “Oh yeah, I saw Derek on the way home, he told me to give you this.” His father continued, handing him a bright orange textbook, one he knew he stupidly forgot at school.

 

“Oh, yeah thanks, I forgot that” Stiles said, voice uncertain. He couldn’t lie and say that he wasn’t surprised. He was. It’s not quite frequent that your ex-best friend, that stopped noticing you for reasons as stupid as his face, returns forgotten textbooks. So this was new. 

 

“Thank Hale, good thing he brought it with him, I’m glad I caught him before he walked 5 blocks down here” His father commented.

 

“Yeah, whatever.” Stiles said, his voice dripping with doubt. God he didn’t know what he’d do if Derek ever came to give it to him in person. Like, fuck the guy, he didn’t have the right to show his face down here after the bullshit he made Stiles go through.

 

His father gave him a worried look, gaze moving down at his carpet before sitting down beside him on his bed. “Son,” his father paused, “What- What happened between you and the Hale boy? I asked Talia about it and she just gave me a sad look and shrugged.”

 

“Nothing dad, friends drift apart, it just happens, besides, I have Scott, Allison, Lydia, Kira and even Liam now, everything’s totally good, better than better could ever be, daddy-o.” Stiles said giving his father his most superficial smile yet. 

 

“Dunbar? That freshman from Devenford last year?” His dad asked. “Isn’t he the kid with IED?”

 

“Yeah, he’s a sophomore now, he’s fitting in here much better though, he’s apparently joining lacrosse this year and as much as that worries me, I can’t help but feel really proud for him, ya' know? Scott said that coach’s making sure he doesn’t get too pent up during practices and games and apparently his doctor said he’s managing better now that he has people to watch out for him” Stiles said proudly.

 

“Good, good. I’m really proud of you son, getting along with others like that, you remind me exactly like your mother.” His dad gave him a sad smile sighing. “ Just hoped that you had Derek as a friend too, I mean, I just miss getting to see Talia and the kids again, she and your mother were the best of friends, just like you and Derek, well uh, how you used to be in that case.”

 

“He’s the one who stopped being my friend dad.” Stiles threw his hands up in frustration, “his rising popularity deemed too important than his own best friend, so yeah I’m fine without his egocentric ass” Stiles said the venom in his words dripping with nothing but cold bitterne

 

“Okay son, thats fine, I guess.” His dad huffed standing up. “Anyways, I’m heading back to the station for my night-shift, there’s still some left-overs in the fridge and don’t worry about going over to the station to get me dinner, I’m an adult son, I’m pretty sure I can feed myself.” His dad told him slyly winking. Stiles knew what he was doing, he so knew what his dad was doing and he was not planning on letting his dad slip again.

 

“Haha, nice try dad, I’m not letting you sneak in oily chinese takeout again. I’ll bring you that heart-killing-free pasta and a gatorade. Good for the heart, mind and soul. Seriously, don’t think you can sneak away with fried wantons and sweet and sour porkchops. Seriously, did you know that one out of three American adults suffer from high blood pressure? And that only 2% of American males prevail from stroke?

 

“Seriously son, you’re overreacting, I’m not gonna die from eating porkchops, they’re just damn porkchops, every one deserves a good pork chop, even your old apparently fragile, sanguineous-wise, father.” The sheriff deadpanned.

 

“Fine. If you’re not gonna listen to me then I’ll tell Melissa that you’re not watching your food again.” Stiles smirked.

 

His father grumbled, remembering the patronizing talk Melissa gave him about health, responsibility and all that yack. His dad frowned at him. “Fine. Get me that pink lemonade gatorade, that’s the good stuff.”

 

“Sure thing, dad!” Stiles said watching his dad walk out the door. Stiles immediately remembered the events of earlier and yelled, “Wait dad! Can I ask you something?! Life and death sorta thing!”

 

The sheriff groaned walking back into his room eyebrows raised. “What is it this time?”

 

Stiles quickly scrambled off his bed gesturing to his entire figure, “Dad am I hot?”

 

His dad gave him a once over before looking at his son with a strange look on his face. “And why are you asking me, of all people, exactly?”

 

“I don’t really know,” Stiles sighed, “it’s just that people’ve been giving me weird looks all day and everyone said that I looked like some sort of gay twinky fantasy, fresh off of a fancy exclusive porn site, which is totally weird because most people used to laugh at my hair and my outfits” Stiles said, his serious look 

 

“Okay, horrible analogy, Stiles, horrible, horrible analogy.” His dad said wincing like he’d been stung by a bee. Stiles simply rolled his eyes. “But hey, at least you don’t look like an undernourished nourished bald eagle anymore.”

 

“Uhm, thanks?” Said Stiles, questioningly, seriously though, was that a compliment or an insult because he did not look like a malnourished bald eagle back then. 

 

“Yeah, anyways, me. Leaving. Bye son!” His dad said walking out. 

 

Stiles pretty much just sat there for a few minutes before deciding to watch reruns the entire 5th season of Game of Thrones with absurd amounts of junk food and soda before passing out in a diabetic stroke-like haze. 

 

***

 

Derek felt ticked off on his way home. Urgh, he just lost his chance to talk to Stiles, _again_. He could’ve just told the Sheriff that he was visiting a friends house, or something. He even told Laura not to pick him up, thinking he’d be going over to Stiles’ place like when they were younger. He mentally punched himself for losing his chance to talk to his best friend again. He was so stupid.

 

Seriously stupid enough to keep prowling around Stiles hopefully thinking that he'd forget his utter abhorrence towards him. 

 

Jesus, why did he keep trying? Ever since freshman year, he’d been trying to get Stiles to notice him again. Christ, they were best friends ever since they were in diapers! They’ve been stuck together for years, learning each and every one of the other’s secrets, that’s not a sort of bond you’d just forget. All those years of trust and caring, it wasn't something Derek could let go of. It wasn’t something he’d stupidly throw away. 

 

It wasn’t something Derek would ever betray. _Ever_.

 

Most people would tell you that Derek Hale was Beacon Hills High’s most pride possession. They would write poetry about how he was in four AP classes and was the captain of the high school’s lacrosse team for three consecutive years, the quintessential model of apparent perfection. They’d totally sing odes to his apparent handsomeness and swoon over how ‘ripped’ he was. Derek could even say that he was at the very top of his game, or maybe even his life, that he had everything a striving adolescent would want, grades and popularity, but truthfully? In all honesty? Derek gave no ounce of a goddamn shit about any of that. 

 

Contrary to popular belief, Derek wasn’t born from the blood of fallen angels or forged from the rarest gold by the hammer of the fire god, Hephaestus. He was, though, the goofy middle child of the towns attorney, Talia Hale. He had an older sister, Laura and a younger one, Cora, both the banes of his existence along with his closest friends, the ones who seemed to get him (most of the time) Erica, Boyd and Isaac. But as much as he'd tell you he hated them, he truly did love all of them nonetheless. 

 

Though besides his family and most things he'd say he gave a shit about, the only other thing Derek truly cared for in his life was his best friend, Stiles Stilinski, or his real name which, yes he took the time to practice pronouncing (with the help of Stiles’ mother and the sheriff himself, thank you very much), Maczysz Genim Stilinski. Derek felt his stomach flutter remembering the bewildered look on Stiles face the first time he said it to him. He smiled, thinking about how Stiles’ face lit up like a sparkler before throwing any tangible object at him, threatening to maim him if his real name ever left the Stilinski home. 

 

Stiles was always there for him, his only friend (well the only one he needed, to be honest) during his childhood years, he remembered his mother bringing her friends and their kids home when he was around five years old, telling him to make friends (like ew, it’s not like he needed them anyways). Let’s just say, the day ended with Derek screaming for Stiles and his mother yelling on the phone for Claudia, Stiles’ mother to run over with his best friend at the time.

 

Derek just loved every moment he had with the younger boy, he even remembered his first day in third grade, walking into class thinking about how much fun he’d have with Stiles that year until he tripped over one of the legs of the chairs, falling out of his reverie (and to the floor, face first, painfully). Everyone laughed at him, including the infamous Jackson Whip-my-ass (bitchy as ever), calling him ‘Dumb-Dumb Derek’ and making fun of the small red bump on his forehead, calling him stupid with his stupid big ears, stupid big teeth and stupid big eyebrows. Derek remembered crawling under the tables to cry until Stiles came in (Derek looking up at him with literal heart eyes) telling everyone that they were stupid and that Jackson looked like a stupid lizard with stupid sharp front teeth (as much as Jackson would love to deny). Derek laughed to himself at the memory, almost tripping on a crack on the pavement.

 

Stiles did mean a lot to him. He knew that no matter what, no matter how much Stiles hated him, he’d still hold a special piece of his heart. That to him, Stiles was still the best friend that he knew.

 

That he knew and _loved_.

 

Because at that moment, contemplating on what Stiles really meant to him, before walking into the pathway heading home into the preserve, Derek realized that he didn't just miss Stiles, that he didn't just miss their easy banter, their Star Wars marathons or their late night pep talks on the roof of the Stilinski home. He didn’t just yearn for his friendship with Stiles. 

 

He _loved_ him. He loved him and it took him that long to realize.

 

 _He loved him_. Christ, Holy Moses of Egypt, he was fucked. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was long *imagine my sheepish face rn* Again, I'm figuring things out and I'm horribly unprofessional, but that's okay haha. Anyways hope you liked it and regarding like, how you guys would like to communicate with me, Uh, I don't know if AO3 has a sort of messaging thing or something but I'm thinking of making a new tumblr blog for my written stuff, so I'll keep you updated on that incase you wanna give me suggestions on other things to write or prompts and stuff, so yeah.
> 
> Thanks for putting up with me, if you haven't hung yourself whilst reading this then props to you, you're emotionally stronger than me yay.


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